Venture Investing, The Socially Responsible Way

By City Light News on July 2, 2009

Via: Wall Street Journal

Socially responsible investing, which aims to maximize both financial return and social good, often gets a bad rap. There’s a perception that returns in the sector fall victim to social goals, or vice versa.

Josh Cohen believes his firm, City Light Capital, has the right formula to avoid this trade-off. Since 2004, the New York-based firm has amassed a diverse portfolio of 13 companies, including ShotSpotter Inc., a gunshot-location system developer; Rotomotion LLC, which makes unmanned helicopter robots; and 2tor Inc., an online education company.

In an interview with VentureWire, Cohen, a managing partner, discussed how City Light aims to generate strong returns while making a social impact, and why this area of investing may be destined for an “attention” bubble.

Click here for an edited excerpt from the interview.